Communication
Learning Goal
Participant will understand
•
why listening is a challenge, and
• how to remain more focuses on what others are saying.
Communicating Time
 How much time out of your waking day do
you think you actually spend communicating
with others? (Clock Partner)
 Of that, how much is spent on
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Reading?
Writing?
Talking?
Listening?
 Estimate with partner then table
Online timer: www.online-stopwatch.com
Communicating Time Data
 We spend 70% of our time communicating
with others.
 Strive to be better communicators!
Listening Questionnaire
Listening Questionnaire Scoring
 31-35 points = Effective Listener
 21-30 points = Good Listener
 14-20 points = Not-so-good Listener
 13 points or less = Huh?
Chalk Talk
 Chalk Talk is a method for having a silent
discussion about an important issue.
 You can only respond using words, phrases,
sentences, drawings, or symbols.
 You can agree (circle or underline), disagree,
question, add to, connect, or elaborate upon.
Chalk Talk Questions
 Listening is a challenge (spend 45% of your
time listening!)
 Average person speaks at 150 words per
minute (wpm). Average person can hear at
1000 wpm.
 What are some bad habits of listening?
 How can you stay focused on what the
other person is saying?
 Share out.
Chalk Talk Activity
 This is a silent activity - No TALKING please.
 Facilitator ensures each person has marker,
responds or comments in writing to question
posed, and ensures that group is silent.
 Timer tracks time (5 minutes).
 Draw lines between similar words or circle
them to denote patterns.
 After 5 minutes, switch with another group to
the other question; add words and identify
patterns.
Bad Habits
 Interrupt often
 Fail to give
 Try to finish other’s
response
 Impatient
 Lose temper when
not in agreement
 Change subject to
something relating
to own experience
 Think more about
reply
sentences
 Jump to conclusions
 Offer unsolicited
advice
 Make up mind
before have all info
 Compulsive note
taker
Avoiding Bad Habits
 From time to time, most people are guilty of
exhibiting many or most of the bad habits.
 It’s human nature, so don’t be too hard on
yourself if you exhibit a lot of them.
 Be aware of them.
 Be aware of your tendency to fall into them.
 Consciously try to avoid them.
Staying Focused
 Concentrate on what speaker is saying,
including words, voice inflections, rate of
speech, body language, etc. (as many as
possible).
 Avoiding thinking about a response.
 Interact with short verbal affirmations (“I see”)
and nonverbally with small gestures (::nod::).
 Avoid interrupting.
 Do not finish other’s sentences.
Summary
 Listening is a challenge because
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Most of us spend 45% of our time listening!
Average person speaks at 150 words per
minute (wpm). Average person can hear at
1000 wpm. This gives us a lot of time. Many of
us fall into bad habits during that time.
 Use various strategies to stay focused on
what the other is saying and not being
distracted by your own thoughts.